This deserves a bonus star (or I need to quit giving so many other 5 star ratings). A true diamond…read morein Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood on the South Side. First tip: come hungry. They will give you more than you can eat (starts with bread, then a salad, then pasta, and then the entree). There is lot parking nearby that you can pay at a kiosk (if you can find parking) or pay a valet. The meal is structured with bread served along side "holy oil" (olive oil dipping sauce infused with herbs and peppers) and fagioli spread for the bread. Incredible so far and gets better. We skipped appetizers and went to the salad. You get a lot of salad. I got the Tuscan kale salad - delicious, with the heavy bitter taste of the kale balanced with apples, candied walnut, and lemon vinaigrette dressing. The star of the evening was the cacio e pepe pasta which they mix in front of you at your table. The taste of the rich Romano cheese, salty with pepper and silky smooth (yet binding) is almost transcendental. You have to just taste this. I can't do it justice in a written review. The main course was the pollo forno. Chicken with a sauce that was almost like chimmichurri, fingerling potatoes. I was still bedazzled from the pasta, but the main course was still scrumptious. Service is top-notch. The servers know the menu and are ready to help with recommendations. This is worth the splurge. Go already if you haven't.

This is our second time visiting this restaurant and we loved it just as much…read more We started our meal with the smoked provolone. It was very over the top and indulgent. I went with the casa salad, it had so many toppings including a lot of blue cheese. I feel it would have been enough for my meal. For my pasta, we did the cacio e Pepe, which what they are famous for. They don't do it table side for GF pasta since it would be cross contaminated. For our main my husband and I shared the margarita veal medallions and the sea bass. Both were very good and large servings. For dessert, they gave us a complimentary champagne glasses and a little dessert. We also got the crème brûlée. It had cherries on top and a chocolate ganache at the bottom. Once again, very indulgent. I had a lemon drop martini that was very good during my meal and a glass of wine. They have a very good wine list but not very affordable. Overall, it's a great place for special occasions. They have very good waitstaff and it makes the experience even better.

Pretty packed on a Saturday night. Very small bar and waiting area. I think someone said it's BYOB…read morebut I don't see a corkage fee posted on their site. I definitely saw folks drinking wine though. It looks like there's a Fine Wine & Good Spirits a few blocks south. I had takeout grilled (not blackened) chicken Alfredo and even reheated it was probably the best I've had in memory. The balsamic salad was great too. Service was prompt and friendly while I waited. I'll definitely be back to try more of their menu.

Legends. What a cool north side restaurant. Located a stone throw from AGH. The food was…read moreterrific and the wait staff was wonderful My family ate everything. Loved every meal. Only reason they do not get a four star is they kept messing up our water and the restaurant is very loud. How do you mess up water? We kept getting sparkling water when we ordered still. Small thing but it drove me nuts

We have been to Lucatino half a dozen times already....why? Cause it's delicious, reasonably…read morepriced, friendly staff (especially Tessa - Bar Manager) and fantastic wine selection! Everyone is welcoming and it feels like "our place" already.

After several visits, we've found that while the focaccia and pizza are good, the rest of the menu…read morehasn't stood out. We've tried different dishes each time, but nothing has really impressed us. Only item I wouldn't get again is anything pesto since I prefer a more creamy sauce, and theirs was more garlic and oil. Everything is fine -- just not remarkable -- and there are more affordable Italian restaurants that offer better overall quality. I wouldn't say the ambiance was intimate as the tables are pretty close together and the overall space is small. Service was standard.

Great food and service at this BYOB. Legit Italian and Italian-American items. One of the best…read morespots in the Pittsburgh area for high quality dining.

We had an amazing time and meal at Mambo for my moms birthday! We had a great table and our…read morewaitress Emily was outstanding!!! We started with the table bread...which I could have eaten all night. My husband and I split the Margherita pizza and gnocchi with meatballs. I am not sure which one I liked better. My family had spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti with meatballs, and vodka rigatoni...all loved their meals. We then got to ice cream. I am not sure I have ever had better ice cream. I am not a chocolate fan but even that one was something to talk about!

So this location was only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel and we are so glad that we checked…read moreit out. It is a very cozy Italian restaurant that's serving homemade Italian food like your Nonna would make for you. We showed up on a Tuesday night and it was packed. It was around six or 6:30 in the evening and when we first got there, we were told it would be about a 20 minute wait before a two top was available. But the host came back and asked if we didn't mind sitting by the kitchen they could see us right away. We chose to sit by the kitchen, which honestly was probably the best option because it was actually a little bit quieter because there was a very large party that was celebrating a birthday and they had live music going on so it was hard to hear when you were in the main dining space but back by the kitchen it's a little bit quieter and we could actually hear ourselves talk. My husband got the penne with meatballs and the penny was nicely cooked with a beautiful tomato Bass sauce and the meatballs or some of the best Italian meatball he's ever had. His only complaint was that there were only two in the order and he wished there would've been three. I got the spinach and ricotta, stuffed ravioli, and by far one of the best raviolis I've ever had. The ravioli are large so there's only about five in a dish but they're packed fully and the flavoring and seasoning is absolutely spectacular. It's got a beautiful sauce like accompanies it and the chew you can definitely tell it is handmade pasta/ravioli. Our server, Emma was absolutely spectacular and was so kind. We truly enjoyed our experience here and would highly recommend anybody to check it out if you're in the area. But we also do recommend make your reservations ahead of time. This place gets packed quickly.

Very, very good Italian spot near Walnut Street, very close by all the top shops. The ambiance is…read morevery nice, both inside and outside. Pretty tight space though. The waitresses are friendly and have great recommendations. I got to try their linguine rustica (essentially the clam pasta dish), a cappuccino, some cherry soda, and soup of the day, as well as complimentary bread. They got that bread out very quickly! Very soft, and served with quite high quality olive oil. The bottle has both olive oil and balsamic! The soup of the day was quite good as well. It was some sort of beef broth, I think may a beef and bean soup. Chickpeas in there as well. Next time, I might try the salad. The salad they have as a side is so good, an amazing portion and seems so fresh and tasty. The mains were excellent. Very good pasta with clam sauce. Lots of clam meat and a flavorful oil based sauce. My friend had some red penne with chicken and enjoyed that as well. Great portions, pretty fair prices. Finally, great drinks as well. Very memorable cherry cola that I believe the company is owned by the owner's son. Real cane sugar, very good. The cappuccino was great as well. Definitely come here!

We are pretty frequent customers at Dish when are brave enough to play the reservation game…read more Tonight was perhaps one of our better visits, even if it's never a bad time either! First surprise, they got a fish tank! If you know the restaurant, it's incredible that they were able to find space for it! I got to talk a bit with the guy who made the tank because he happened to be there tonight (very random). Anyway back to the real business, I tried penn's paradise cocktail which was pretty good! Refreshing for the the summer. Later, I got the prickly pear margarita but I didn't love it (it happens!). There was an after taste similar to aspartame which I really don't like. For appetizers we got the Antipasto Misto which was so good! So many little things to try! The giant capers were a delightful surprise. Great olives as usual. The veggies were all good. We also got the sardines. I don't mind getting the filet out, but if it's your first time doing so, might get a bit messy. Flavor wise, they were delicious, especially with the caramelized onion concoction. Tonight, they had a tuna that sounded pretty good but I was hesitating with the quail, and the waitress said to get instead. I'm glad I did because the quail was so good! Cooked to perfection and still very moist! The meat was falling off the bone really easily. The corn salad that came with it was a great accompaniment for it. The corn tasted very good. My husband likes getting the rigatoni every time but l alwaya try to get one of their seasonal dishes and tonight was a home run!

I had high hopes for Dish, but our first experience fell pretty flat. Our neighbors had…read morereservations for four, but the other two couldn't make it, so they invited us to join. Because of that, I can't speak to the reservation process or how difficult it is to get a table. The restaurant itself is small and cute. It does feel a little dated, but I don't mind that for a restaurant serving traditional Italian food. It almost feels like an old house, which gives the space some character. One of the highlights was their Dirty Martini. It was SO good and came with Gorgonzola-stuffed olives, which are always a hit with me. The martini was honestly perfect. They had a decent cocktail and wine selection, with plenty of local distilleries and breweries featured. Unfortunately, the service and one particular experience really put a damper on the evening. Before we even got our food, our neighbors told us how much they loved their meal during their last visit. They recommended some favorites but mentioned that they had previously found a very long hair in the gnocchi. They said the restaurant made it right, so it didn't ruin their experience. To start, we ordered the beef carpaccio. I took a bite and immediately felt a hair in my mouth. I pulled out a very long, light-blonde hair, and my neighbor just looked at me and said, "This can't be happening again." For context, I have dark brown hair, she has medium brown hair, and both guys have short hair, so we were all pretty confident it wasn't from our table. When our waitress came back, we showed her the hair, which we had placed on a bread plate. She took the plate away but left the beef on the table and simply said she was sorry. A few minutes later, she asked if we wanted her to take the dish away. We said yes, and she then asked if we wanted it remade. We said yes and thanked her. That was essentially the end of the conversation. When the bill came, I thought she had comped the beef, but my neighbor pointed out that she had actually rung in another and removed the original one. So, we actually were charged for the replacement dish. All four of us have worked in the service industry, and I still do, so I completely understand that things happen. We were extremely polite and weren't looking for anyone to make a huge fuss. But aside from replacing the dish, there didn't seem to be much effort to remedy the situation. We even wondered afterward whether the waitress had even told the kitchen or a manager what happened. More disappointing was that her attitude toward our table seemed to change afterward. She went from being friendly to seeming almost annoyed by us. Looking back, we probably should have asked to speak with a manager or said something in the moment. But you hate to be those people when you know firsthand that mistakes happen. That said, at a restaurant of this caliber, I don't think guests should have to ask for a remedy after finding a hair in their food. I would expect the staff to be more proactive. Accidents happen, but how you handle them matters. What makes this more disappointing is that our neighbors said their previous hair incident was handled completely differently. They said their server and the staff were fantastic, remade the dish, comped several dishes and a round of cocktails, and even gave them a gift card. We certainly weren't expecting that extreme or fishing for freebies. But considering this was the second time our group had encountered a hair in the food at Dish, I do think it's reasonable to expect more than a simple remake, especially with a bill that was almost $400. As for the food itself, there were definitely some things we enjoyed. The beef carpaccio, hair aside, was actually good. The scallops were delicious, although a little small, and we all loved the beets that came with them. The house-made sausage was also good and had a nice kick. The boys both ordered the pappardelle with rabbit, and we all tried it. Unfortunately, we agreed it was pretty dry and could have used quite a bit more sauce. I ordered the spaghetti frutti di mare, which was light and fresh with a fair-sized portion. The real standout was the rigatoni. It was reminiscent of a carbonara and was probably my favorite dish of the night. If we came back, that's what I'd order. For dessert, the limoncello cheesecake was fresh and light without being overly citrusy. The tiramisu was creamy with a really nice punch of flavor, and the cappuccino was perfectly made. I know a lot of people are talking about Dish and the possibility of a Michelin star. Unfortunately, I find it difficult to imagine it receiving one. The cocktails and food had some bright spots, but the service, food-quality inconsistencies, and hair incident left a lot to be desired. Maybe we caught Dish on an off night. Many of the reviews I've seen are very different from ours, so I do want to acknowledge that this could have been an isolated experience. But I think it's only fair to share.

La Dolce Vita is a local, upscale-casual restaurant and bar that serves Italian foods and drinks…read more It is open daily for happy hour and dinner, and it also offers catering. Examples of menu items are appetizers (e.g., burrata, arancini, soups, and salads), entrees (e.g., pizzas, pastas, and chicken piccata), and beverages (e.g., wines, martinis, spritzes, and beers). Prices are reasonable. Through Yelp, I made a reservation for an early dinner for my husband and me. The employees promptly and kindly served us throughout our meal. The restaurant had two floors of indoor seating. Here are my ratings for what we ate: Moscato wine - 5 stars Caesar Salad - 4 stars - I liked that I could order a half size, but I recommend that the kitchen staff mix in the dressing. Meatballs with Garlic Bread - 5 stars Chicken Parmesan - 3.5 stars - On chitarra noodles. I recommend making the breading crispier and tweaking the tomato sauce. Vodka-cream Pizza - 4.5 stars - Tasty sauce, onions, mozzarella, basil, and oregano. Tirasmisu - 4.5 stars - House-made, moist. Lady finger, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder. We received a small discount during the happy hour. Our total price was about $69 plus a credit-card fee, tax, and tip.

The server was very kind…read more The calamari was a weird mixed bag of pieces that were fried perfectly and others that were over fried. Our drinks from the bar or a C minus at best too much ice in the old-fashioned along with too much bitters. The espresso martini was very basic. My husband said that deconstructed lasagna was OK. I got the lemon ricotta pasta, and the pancetta was not good and there was an overwhelming amount. The peas in the dish were definitely not fresh peas.

Excellent food. Great atmosphere. Been there several times and never disappointed. Do yourself a…read morefavor and eat at Cenacola. Loved the ricotta gnocchi!

I want to start this review by saying that the food at Cenacolo is a 5, full stop. There are many…read moreItalian places in southwest PA, but the cuisine at this one beats them all. Simply fantastic, with house-made pasta and real traditional dishes. I had the ricotta gnocchi with short rib ragu off the regular menu, and it's changed my life. Sooooo good... My wife had one of the nightly specials - shrimp and crab ravioli in a gruyère cheese cream sauce. She loved it. Finally, my mother-in-law had the bruco...perfect. You simply can't beat the food here, and you get a ton of it. Do not fill up on the bread before your entree arrives, because the portion sizes are HUGE. I got another full meal out of mine the next day, and it was just like raiding an Italian grandma's fridge. My wife got a two leftover meals from hers. I'm sure the apps and deserts are equally as good, but I can't see ordering one knowing that a giant plate of hot pasta is on the way. The wine list is very basic, and I honestly don't know what brand of red blend they brought me, but it was very good anyway. It's kind of quaint in the face of so many other places flexing huge lists while their food is boring. They also have a full bar and several specialty cocktails. My wife enjoyed her watermelon something-or-other. At the end of the meal they serve complimentary limoncello and the tiniest little almond cookies. Very nice. Okay, so why am I giving them a 4? Two reasons- location and service. If you don't already know where Cenacolo is located, good luck finding it. It's tucked away in the middle of a residential area in what looks like a mostly vacant mixed office and light industrial complex, and they share a long approach with a postal sorting facility. It's pretty well hidden, and GPS will have trouble getting you there. Once you do find it, the interior is very dated and well worn. It feels like a basement and could use a refresh. The second issue we had was slow service. We were seated quickly and our waitress took our drink order, but after that we spent a lot of time waiting for things and trying to get her attention. She also looked like she had just worked a double shift in the kitchen, with her all black outfit covered with stains and flour. It was a bit off-putting. Regardless, I'll be back again soon and often. This place is great, and the food far outweighs any negatives.